1. Field of Invention
This invention relates in general to a sound suppressing device for reducing the muzzle blast and muzzle flash that occurs during the discharge of a firearm, and in particular, to such a device comprised of a type including an outer tube housing having at least one baffle which is conical in design.
2. Prior Art
Firearms when discharged produce a high intensity impulse sound. To reduce this high intensity impulse sound, many different silencers for firearms have been developed and patented. Combusting powder exiting the silencer produces a bright flash. Reducing or eliminating the flash is another goal of silencer manufacturers.
A wide variety of techniques have been developed and patented to produce effective silencers. The most efficient silencers have used combinations of baffles and varying sized expansion chambers, and/or liquid media to cool hot expanding gases. Regardless of the techniques used, the aim and intention of a silencer is to delay the exit of the propellant gases from the sound suppressor so that the resulting sound level is significantly reduced. Other concerns such as weight and point of impact shift resulting from the use of a silencer have also become issues of concern for silencer manufacturers.
Baffles have been used to achieve high levels of sound reduction in a variety of firearm silencers and the use of complex baffle, spacer combinations or monolithic baffle structures are known in the prior art. Symmetrical baffle designs have been used to reduce the negative effects on accuracy but at the expense of sound reduction. Baffles with asymmetric features which are positioned at an angle to the bore, or have slanted sidewalls have been used to achieve high levels of sound reduction. Cone or conical baffles have been used extensively over many years and a great many variations exist. Cone baffles are used to divide the silencer tube into chambers of various sizes where the expanding gases may expand and cool. Conical baffles may be of a truncated design, a frusto-conical design, or a conical baffle with a spiral vane on the exterior surface of the baffle. Many variations of the basic conical baffle are due to changes in the angle of the conical baffle and the addition of structures to the conical baffle to aid in improving the sound reduction level of the suppressor. Some of these structures have included a flat or curved flange positioned along the exterior surface of the cone.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,164 (Walther et al) discloses the use of conical baffles that feature a plurality of steps or multiple annular shoulders on the interior surface of a conical baffle. Also disclosed is the use of these multiple annular shoulders on the exterior and interior surfaces of a conical baffle. However, the use of these conical baffles with annular shoulders is in conjunction with other techniques. These conical baffles are positioned and only used in the area of the suppressor closest to the muzzle exit of the suppressor. This particular baffle design is also heavy and does not predict the redirection of gases which is achieved with vertical flutes.
One variation of the baffled sound suppressor is known as the coaxial suppressor. One version of the coaxial suppressor uses baffles that are separated by reduced diameter spacers, that are concentric to the bore of the suppressor with the spacers being ported to allow venting of the propellant gases to the outer expansion chamber. Another version of the coaxial suppressor uses a reduced diameter housing containing baffles and spacers, and this is positioned concentrically within an outer housing. Porting of the inner housing allows for venting of the gases to the outer expansion chamber. U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,083 (Seberger) features the use of reduced diameter coaxial spacer elements that are ported between groups of conical baffles. The baffles themselves have conventional spacer elements between each baffle. Each baffle is also ported at varying positions. U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,074 (Gaddini) features baffles that have integral reduced diameter coaxial spacer elements, and these are vented in a specific manner, dependent upon the caliber of the host firearm. The baffle featured in the Gaddini patent has a small conical portion that fits within the reduced diameter coaxial spacer element when assembled. The bore aperture is provided with an elongated slot. The use of coaxial spacing with silencers results in a silencer significantly heavier than designs which do not utilize this method. When the spacer must act as a support wall for the baffle, without the support of the external housing wall the result is a thicker spacer which weighs more than would be necessary with designs that do not utilize coaxial spacing.
It is an object of the invention herein described to provide a firearm silencer which eliminates muzzle flash and substantially reduces the sound signature of the host firearm through the use of cone baffles with fluted surface structures and either symmetrical or asymmetrical cuts on the tip of each cone which in turn has minimal or no effect on the accuracy of the discharged projectile. The use of stampings allows for the incorporation of surface geometry not seen before. With proper alloy selection, the internal volume of a silencer is increased because the stamped cone baffles used in one embodiment of the herein disclosed invention are much thinner. This change used in conjunction with the novel surface structures results in weight reduction, increased sound reduction, and the virtual elimination of muzzle flash.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description as follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention.